Vigliotti: Banning guns won't solve the problem

For the past two weeks, I’ve carefully listened to the ongoing debate on guns and the Second Amendment following the tragedy of the school shooting in Florida, and in the wake of threats leveled against a few of the schools in Carroll County.

The simple truth is, there is no singular solution, but rather, a host of solutions that have to be applied to our present crisis. Banning guns will not solve the problem because someone determined to commit an act of evil will find another way of doing it.

During our forum for Taneytown’s city council almost a year ago, a concerned citizen argued that a new gun shop in town was a “blight” and asked what could be done to “dissuade” these kinds of businesses from opening up. I explained I respectfully disagreed, and noted that a genuine, legal business had the right to open up, and that we should be working to attract businesses to town.

I answered in this way not only because I support improving our town’s economy and the Second Amendment, but also because I had gone to meet the owners when the shop opened up. They were a family. They supported the Second Amendment. And they were very professional, very careful and very particular when it came to their work — including the stocking and sale of guns. I met a number of customers and visitors in that store, older and younger, who were all utterly serious about the owning and use of firearms. This was no casual matter for them: Safety and responsibility were key to gun ownership. By no count could the alleged shooter in Florida be deemed a sound, responsible gun owner.

At the moment, the renewed debate on the Second Amendment remains in full swing. To be sure, it is a discussion worth having. But a disturbing lack of civility surrounds a difficult debate about a subject pertaining to rights — a right to life, and a right to keep and bear arms. There is no one whose heart does not break for the victims of shootings, or who wouldn’t love to find a way to stop all violence, but to smear anyone who does not support banning guns as evil or complicit is not only wrong, but undermines the effort to find a solution.

As we know, a number of solutions have been proposed and ought to be debated on their merit. These include better background checks, better mental health evaluations, zero tolerance for threats, hiring trained security for schools, hiring additional police, having entrance security stations, allowing trained teachers (on a voluntary basis) to conceal-carry, installing metal detectors and barricades for doors, banning bump stocks, better communication between law enforcement agencies, better communication between law enforcement agencies and schools, and better communication and human connection between people (as was highlighted during President Donald Trump’s listening session at the White House). Prevention as well as response must be equally considered.

Many of these potential solutions have been expressed or supported by survivors, parents of victims, young people and others. Many of these proposals are common sense and overwhelmingly supported — such as better and more thorough background checks, with 97 percent support according to a recent poll — but have gotten nowhere. Elected leaders who hold the power to effect changes that protect rights have a moral obligation to proceed, now. The president, for example, has vowed to tackle things head-on.

While some would argue that banning or severely restricting guns would solve the problem of violence and shootings, the sad truth is that it would not. It is a paradox that among our American states with strict gun control laws and regulations, violent crime is still immense. Baltimore is considered the most violent city in the entire country. More often than not, guns used in violent crimes and/or shootings have been illegally obtained. The deadliest school massacre in U.S. history, occurring in 1927 in Bath, Michigan, was centered around a bombing. Those who are determined to commit evil will find a way whether or not guns are legal.

Even a multilayered system designed to enhance safety is not always perfect. We are learning in Florida, as more details emerge, that human error and failure led to tragedy — ranging from dismissing warning signs to the actions of the first deputies to arrive at the school, among numerous other shortcomings. It is a breakdown that has to be rectified.

As we work toward solutions, the rest of us must engage ourselves in our communities. We have to reach out to one another, better understand one another, and refuse to demonize one another even when we disagree. This is especially important given that such a topic does not narrowly affect one generation — but we are drawing on the lessons and legacy of generations past as we determine the present, and invariably, the future.

Likewise, the decisions we make will affect young people who rely on us for sound, responsible choices. There is nothing feigned in the fear they express about simply attending school. That is something that should be startling to us, and underscores our need to get things right.

Joe Vigliotti is a writer and a Taneytown city councilman. He can be reached through his website at www.jvigliotti.com.